Apparatus for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers



Jan. 15, 1957 R. l. PRUPIS ETAL 2,777,517

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TAPE ENDS ON SLIDE FASTENER STRINGERS A Original Filed Nov. 14, 1950 NVENT PRUPB Na EASHQVER cm A I h N .H A 2 m w/ 9 R m N. W m \\\w 1 m 4 (FF? m G 5 a l E m F F United States PatentO APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TAPE ENDS ON I SLIDE FASTENER STRINGERS Robert I. Prupis, West Orange, and Albert Bashover,

Newark, N. J., assignors to Conmar Products Corporation, Newark, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Original application November 14, 1950, Serial No. 195,652, now Patent No. 2,697,227, dated December 21, 1954. Divided and this application April 15, 1954, Serial No. 423,452

16 Claims. (Cl. 164-46) This invention relates to the application of slide fasteners to garment closures.

One of the methods commonly employed in applying slide fasteners to garments having closures, such as fly fronts in trousers, is shown in U. S. Letters Patent to Markin, Number 2,155,795, granted April 25, 1939. The garment manufacturer purchases pre-cut or individual slide fasteners, with the sliders separate or 'off the stringers. The slide fasteners each comprise a pair of stringers of standard length, the fastener elements of which are interlocked or meshed. The stringers are stripped apart, one stringer being sewn to an inner fly strip and the second stringer being sewn to an outer fly strip. A pair of the fly strips with attached stringers are then sewn to the left and right halves of the trousers, after which a slider is attached to the stringers to mesh the elements. The lower ends of the stringers are then stapled, or otherwise connected together.

This method has a number of limitations and disadvantages. The garment manufacturer has to keep a large stock of slide fasteners on hand to meet his needs. It is the standard practice of slide fastener manufacturers to produce fasteners in length having one-half inch multiples; that is, seven inches, seven and one-half inches, eight inches, etc. The garment manufacturer must be ready for variance in length of the fly fronts from lot to lot and therefore must stock many lengths. Moreover, many trouser fly fronts require slide fasteners having lengths to tolerance as close as one-eighth or even onesixteenth of an inch. In such case the purchased slide fasteners must be cut down to the exact length required.

This is time consuming, involves additional labor, and

is costly.

Because of the foregoing it has been suggested that instead of attaching a pre-cut'stringer to a fly strip, a continuous or substantially endless length of slide fastener stringer or chain (chain is used to refer to a pair of meshed or interlocked stringers) be attached or sewn necessary for the garment manufacturer to stock the many different standard pre-cut lengths of fasteners. Furthermore, the additional labor required to shorten a standard length of fastener to the exact length required would be no longer necessary.

However, the problem is not so easily solved, because there is a need for tape ends devoid of fastener elements. With separate stringers sewn to fly strips as first described above, each stringer is provided with a' tape end, that is to say, a section of the stringer opposite the bottom portion of a fly strip is devoid of fastener elements. The need for this arises from the practice of stitching across the bottoms of the fly strips when the strips are sewn to the trouser front halves. If the lowermost fastener elements were directly sewn down to the trouser fronts, the slider could not be added to the I proposal therefore has not been found useable inthe industry. Indeed, the proposed process is completely unworkable and worthless without tape ends.

In accordance with our invention, tape ends are provided by removing a group of fastener elements from the gap-less stringer or chain after the stringer or chain in continuous length form has been sewn to the fly strips. Preferably, the formation of the tape ends is accomplished by a simple cutting or chopping operation through the tape near the edge to which the fastener elements are secured. We have provided a simple but effective means for removing fastener elements to provide the tape ends. Preferably, the means for removing the segment of fastener elements is also combined with means for simultaneously cutting the continuous stringer or chain across its entire width, in order to form a fly strip having an appropriate length 'of attached stringer with a desired length of tape end.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other objects which will hereinafter appear, our invention resides in the novel method and means for providing slide fastener closures for garments as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification, and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a simplified perspective view drawn to small scale of a device for providing tape ends, or removing fastener elements, said device also including means for transversely cutting the fastener;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective View drawn to larger scale of the die constituting a part of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing the manner in which a slide fastener is positioned in the die preparatory to the removal of a segment of fastener elements; and Y I Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the manner in which the fastener elements are removed to provide the desired 5 tape end.

For a more detailed description and drawings of the methods which may be used, reference may be made to our parent Patent No. 2,697,227, issued December 21, 1954, and entitled Slide Fasteners, from which the present application has been divided. Briefly, fly strips may be sewn end to end on separated slide fastener stringers to form continuous lengths each of which subsequently are transversely cut between the abutting ends of the fly strips, or fly strips may be sewn end to end on one side of silde fastener chain, that is, a pair of meshed stringers, following which the chain is transversely cut, and the opposite fly strips subsequently added to the opposite side. At this last operation the stringers may be separated, or may be left meshed. Still another procedure is to sew both inner and outer fly strips to meshed chain, before transversely cutting the chain between the strips.

Tape ends are provided by removing or punching away a'segment of fastener elements adjacent the bottom portion of a fly strip. In the preferred form of the invention the outer and inner fly strips are simultaneously provided with tape ends by removing a segment it of,

fastener elements while the elements are interlocked or meshed.

Figs. 1 to 4 show the mechanism used in the above with a pair of spaced parallel cutting edges 74 and 76.

The cutting edges 74 and 76 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the meshed fastener elements in the chain being processed. A cutting edge 78 is provided between and connecting the cutting edges 74 and 76. They are preferably at right angles. A fourthcutting edge 80 is provided between the cutting edges 74 and 76 and substantially parallel to the cutting edge 78. The distance between the cutting edges 78 and 80 i substantially equal to the length of the tape end desired, a common dimension being threefourths of an inch. The cutting edges 74, 76, 78 and 80 are all in the same horizontal plane.

When it is desired to sever the chain transversely across its entire width simultaneously with the removal of fastener elements, the die is formed with additional cutting edges 82 and 84 extending laterally on each side of the cutting edge 80 and in the same horizontal plane. The total length of the cutting edge portions 82, 80 and 84 is slightly greater than the width of the chain (that is, the two stringers as meshed). The die block 72 is provided with an aperture 86 leading from the cutting edges 74, 76, 78 and 80 down through the die block to facilitate the disposal of the successive segments being removed from the chain. To simplify the grinding of the die block 72, which is set in an opening 88 (Fig. 2) of a plate 90, the die block preferably is made in two halves, the split line being indicated at 92, 92.

A pair of work locating members or blades 94 and 96 (Fig. 3) are provided, one on each side of the cutting edges 74 and 76, respectively. The locating blades 94 and 96 extend lengthwise of, and parallel to the cutting edges 74 and 76. The blades are resiliently mounted on the die blocks to engage, hold and properly position the fastener elements which are to be removed from the continuous length of slide fastener.

The blade 94 is in the form of a small plate thickened is likewise provided with an extension providing mem-- ber 108. The members 106 and 108 each may be provided with apertures near their ends to receive the ends of a pair of connecting springs 110 and 112. The springs urge the abutments 98 and 102 into engagement with the shoulders 100 and 104, respectively, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, because the outside walls of the die slope toward one another, and the blades assume the same slope. In this inner position, the edges 114 and 116 or" the blades are disposed a little above the plane of the cutting edges, and they resiliently engage,.locate and hold the fastener elements 118 and 118' ofthe pair of meshed stringers S and S. In Fig. 3 the fly strips are omitted for simplicity. i

After positioning a segment of chain between the locating blades 94 and 96, as shown, in Fig. 3, a movable punch, which may be a block 120 having'a simple flat bottom face 122, is moved downwardly against the die 72. The punch engages the fastener elements and depresses the locating blades, as shown in Fig. 4. The tapes 124 and 124' of the stringers S and S then are exposed to the cutting edges 72, 74, 76 and 80, which act to cut or chop out a segment of meshed elements. At the same time, in response to the punch action, the additional cutting edges 82 and 84 sever the tapes 124 and 124' transversely across their widths. In this manner, the chain is completely severed at the same time that the segment of fastener elements is being cut out of the chain.

If a fastener element is nicked or cut by the cutting edge 78 or 80, no harm is done to the finished product. The segment of fastener elements thus cut or chopped from the chain drops down through the aperture 86 where it is received in a suitable container (not shown). When the punch is raised, the springs 110 and 112 cause the locating blades 94 and 96 to move back to their upper locating and holding position, the flanges 98 and 102 engaging the shoulders 100 and 104 to limit the movement of and properly position the blades for working engaging position.

As an added refinement to further aid in positioning the chain in the die, the die may be provided with vertically disposed guide members 119 and 121 at each end of the cutting portions of the die. The members 119 and 121 are formed with locating grooves or tracks 123 and 125, respectively, dimensioned to receive the meshed fastener elements. The members are spaced apart further than the length of the punch 120, and do not interfere with the punch action.

A suitable press assembly for the described die block and punch is illustrated in Fig. 1. Because of the small scale'of Fig. 1 the die 72 is represented in simplified or schematic form. The block and punch must be relatively movable, and in the present case the block is stationary and the punch is moved, The plate 90 in which the die block 72 is set is secured by any suitable means to apedestal 126. The pedestal acts as a base for a hollow vertical standard 128, upon which is supported a horizontal arm 130., The arm may be so attached to the standard 128 as to alford vertical adjustment. The arm 130 has secured thereto a bracket 132 upon which is set a solenoid 134. The lower end of the core (not shown) of the solenoid is connected to the upper end of the shank 136 of the punch block 120. An aperture is provided in the horizontal arm 130 to slidably receive the shank 136. A restoring spring 138 may be disposed around the punch shank, one end bearing against the top of the arm 130 and the other end bearing against an insulated flange on the solenoid core. The compression spring 138 thus serves to quickly return the punch block to its upraised position. The solenoid is connected to a suitable source of current (not shown) by means of a power cord 140 extending between the solenoid and the source of current, the cord preferably passing through the hollow standard 128. A foot pedal switch (not shown) may be provided to actuate the solenoid which, in turn, causes the punch to strike downwardly against the die.

Far clarity in illustration, only the meshed stringers have been shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the outwardly folded fly strips being omitted. It will be understood, of course, that a series of fly strips is first sewn to one or both stringers as the chain is processed, the attached fly strips being folded out from beneath or over the fastener elements.

It is believed that our improvements in apparatus for providing tape ends for the stringers, as well as the advantages resulting from said improvements, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description.

It will be apparent also that while we have shown and described our invention in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the.

invention as sought to be defined in the following claims. The method is not claimed herein, itbeing claimed in our parent patent mentioned above, of which the present application is a division having'claims directed to the apparatus. t

We claim:

1. 'A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, and means for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said cutting edges, said means comprising a locating member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of a and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the, cutting operation.

2. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined widthof the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, and a pair of resiliently yieldable members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges, there being one such resiliently yieldable member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting.

operation.

3. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said cutting edges, there being one such member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation, resilient means urging said members into fastener element engaging position, and means limiting the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position.

4. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges, there being one such member associated with each cutting edge. said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive" with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation, a pair of springs urging said members into fastener element engaging position, shoulder means provided on said die, and abutting means provided on each of said members to limit the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging posi tion.

5. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the width of said pair of meshed slide fastener stringers for severing said stringers, and means for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges, said means comprising a locating member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation.

6; A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the width of said pair of meshed slide fastener stringers for severing said stringers, and a pair of resiliently yieldable members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges, there being one such resiliently yieldable member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation.

7. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desire-d, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the width of said pair of meshed slide fastener stringers for severing said stringers, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges, there being one such member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation, resilient means urging said members into fastener element engaging position, and means limiting the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position.

8. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers, said die comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the width of said pair of meshed slide fastener stringers for severing said stringers, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said pair of cutting edges,.there being one such member associated with each cutting edge, said member having an edge extending lengthwise of, substantially parallel and coextensive with, and normally above its associated cutting edge in substantially vertical alinement therewith, said locating member being movable to a retracted position which is to one side of and no higher than its associated cutting edge during the cutting operation, a pair of springs urging said members into fastener element engaging position, shoulder means provided on said die, and abutting means provided on each of said members to limit the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position.

9. A die as defined in claim 3 in which the first mentioned pair of cutting edges are formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, and in which the locating members are slidable up and down along the sloping outside faces, and in which the resilient means urge the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

10. A die as defined in claim 4 in which the first mentioned pair of cutting edges are formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, and in which the locating members are slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and in which the resilient means urge the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

11. A die as defined in claim 7 in which the first mentioned pair of cutting edges are formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, and in which the locating members are slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and in which the resilient means urge the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

12. A die as defined in claim 8 in which the first mentioned pair of cutting edges are formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and slop-t ing outside faces, and in which the locating members are slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and in which the resilient means urge the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

13. A die for providing tape ends on slide fasten er, stringers comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greaterthan the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said cutting edges, said members being adjacent to and extending collaterally of said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges, and being in alinement with said edges in the direction of cutting movement, resilient means urging said members into fastener element engaging position, and means limiting the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position, the first mentioned pair of cutting edges being formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, the locating members being slidable up and down along the sloping outside faces, and the aforesaid resilient means urging the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

14. Adie for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge vconnectingsaid first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said cutting edges, said members being adjacent to and extending collaterally of said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges, and being in alinement with said edges in the direction of cutting movement, a pair of springs urging said members into fastener elemerit engaging position,shoulder means provided on said die, and abutting means provided on each of said members to limit the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position, the first mentioned pair of cutting edges being formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, the locating members being slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and the aforesaid resilient means urging the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

15. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of outing edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parl allel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the width of said pair of meshed slide movement, resilient means urging said members into fastener element engaging position, and means limiting the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position, the first mentioned pair of cutting edges being formed at theupper edges of cutting mem bers havingvertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, the locating members being slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and the aforesaid resilient means urging the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to the fastener element engaging position.

16. A die for providing tape ends on slide fastener stringers comprising a pair of generally parallel cutting edges, said cutting edges being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the combined width of the fastener elements of a pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a third cutting edge extending transversely between and connecting said pair of cutting edges, a fourth cutting edge connecting said first cutting edges and generally parallel to said third cutting edge and spaced apart therefrom a distance corresponding to the length of tape end desired, said fourth cutting edge extending outside said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges to provide a total length greater than the Width of said pair of meshed slide fastener stringers, a pair of members for engaging and locating said fastener elements between said cutting edges, said members being adjacent to and extending collaterally of said first-mentioned pair of cutting edges, and being in alinement with said edges in the direction of cutting movement, a pair of springs urging said members into fastener element engaging position, shoulder means provided on said die, .and abutting means provided on each of said members to limit the movement of said members toward fastener element engaging position, the first mentioned pair of cutting edges being formed at the upper edges of cutting members having vertical inside faces and sloping outside faces, the locating members being slidable up or down along the sloping outside faces, and the aforesaid resilient means urging the locating members upward along the sloping outside faces to'the fastener element engaging position.

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